Megatech's Avion indoor R/C plane defies laws of logic
By Joshua Topolsky 
posted Jun 19th 2007 9:04AM
posted Jun 19th 2007 9:04AM
[Thanks, Vincent]
Please note: If you're a current Engadget commenter, you do not need to re-register. Simply login and you will be prompted to select a username.
Sounds schweet! Too bad my job is blocking whatever site is hosting the video.
it's YouTube. sorry, unlike here, they might want you to work!
Yep...sucks to be me...
check out the plane flying outdoors too, looks awesome!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6sPSoOQWO4
blah work sucsk like that. yea some places actually want you to work.
Hey, what's that kid doing in my nana's house?
Get out!
Where do I get one?
I have something nearly identical an RC X-Twin. Instead of a rudder it has two engines that alternate power to change direction. It only costs about £18 down here in South Africa (R200). Couldn't find the official website but these people have images. http://www.urbanjunkie.co.uk/product.php/418/0/
the RC X-Twin you speak of rubbish. the Avion is smaller, more durable, actually flies well indoors, has 20 minute runtimes, and can be controlled much better (fully proportional rudder and throttle). i just bought one of these at my local hobby shop last week and haven't been able to put it down since!
got the mini biplane here which can do identical. Looks similar too. www.iwoot.com
As you say the RX-Twin is rubbish, my right engine broke.
I have to say it was the most fun 6 weeks ever. I got about 20 minutes fly time and it was really manouvarable. Obviously not that durable as far as milage is concerened.
That pretty neat, much more fun in larger, more open rooms.
Notice the IR of his control unit blinking. But very cool. I really would like to see this with a remote video camera.
The controller doesn't blink, it's the camera picking up the spectrums from the controller.
Ok cool but how do you STOP it from flying? Wouldn't it just avoid you? Lol...
I guess you grab it from behind or swat it out of the air.
Oh...I forgot it was remote controlled... ^_^
pull back on the throttle to shut the motor off lyk 2 feet from the ground and it glides down gently. this is good cause it's so light it won't hurt if u do mess up and hit urself! haha
I wonder if these are sturdy enough so that whenever my cat catches it, she will not be able to tear it to shreds before i can rescue the distressed plane...
You can get it here: http://tinyurl.com/2q7uav, but it's much more expensive than I would have thought reading the press release.
You can find out more information at www.megatech.com and AvionRC.com will be launching soon for lots more info on the product.
I don't know... It definitely looks cool and all, but even in a large house you're going to have to fly pretty much in continuous circles to avoid hitting stuff. And outdoors, something this small would be unflyable in even the lightest breeze.
I think I'll stick with RC helicopters for indoor flying. I had one of those Radio Shack miniature helis for a while, but it was way too flimsy and finicky for me, so I took it back. So I will wait a few more generations before getting one again.
Looks like it flies pretty decently outdoors from this video.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=z6sPSoOQWO4
Helicopters are worse, if you hit something you are garunteed to hit the blades and most likely break something. Also they are hard as *&$# to learn.
@Mike: true, but you would need a *perfectly* calm day to fly outside.
i've actually flown one outdoors. does surprisingly well, have even caught thermals. gusts are fun bc they make it do "tricks" that are easily recovered. the motor has more than enough power to keep control in medium wind. in normal flight you spend most time at low to mid throttle, and high throttle for extremely quick climbing.
This is just a reply to the people asking where to get one. WWW.theavion.com And Ebay Most of teh big hobby stores (tower) will not have them till late this month.
Tiny indoor r/c aircraft are common nowdays, but there are a couple things about this one that are quite impressive. Namely, fully-proportional throttle and rudder controls; and electronic TRIM! This means you should be able to get it to fly reasonably well. With most cheaper tiny fliers, it's kind of a crap-shoot, and you end up fiddling a lot to try to calibrate it. Another thing I like a lot is that it's a pusher design, meaning you don't damage the prop when you inevitably hit stuff.
This is explains why it's quite pricey.
How is this thing worth $90-100 when you compare it to planes/copters like the Air Hog, Picco Z, Hughes 300 Fairy, etc? The post talked about some fancy collision avoidance system but I saw none of that in the videos. The plane just flies in circles!
why are you comparing the Avion to crap? of course it will cost more than those toys. how about you compare it to the closest thing to it, the Plantraco Butterfly. it has the exact same actuation and performance, plus the Avion is stronger, more durable, and can fly outdoors. how much does the butterfly cost? $240... i would be afraid to fly that thing in fear of breaking it.
My dog would go absolutely apesh*t if I started flying this thing around in my house!
haha, i think it would drive my wife crazy too, oh well
If you could attach a flashlight to the thing, then your dog wouldn't know what to do!
better yet, a laser! my dog flips out at those.
hmm, laser... how about some kind of artillery too?
It stands up to most crashes reasonable well. The biggest problem i have so far is do not land it on concrete or very hard surfaces The charging jack as well as the receiver and on off switch are on the underside of the nose. Most crashes can be fixed with a little clear tape Just make sure to add the weight to both sides. After a repair if it flies leaning to one side just a little tape to the other side to balance it back out.
Http://www.theavion.com
The Avion does not just fly in circles If it does you need to set the trim of the balance is off (it weighted on one side.) Really easy to fix just place a small piece of tape on the side opposite it turns.
So wait, it's IR controlled? Does this mean we can't strap laser tag lasers (and receivers) to it? Cause that would REALLY make it fun!
And when it "dies" it slowly powers down for a few seconds.
That would be awesome.
Get working on it.
sygyzy,
sorry if i offended you by praising a good product. so what if i'm stoked about something i just bought and am willing to provide info to people who don't have it yet. didn't know that this would make it worth discrediting my comments.
and if you haven't noticed, i'm not the only one here saying great things about the plane...
anyway, like i said, i own the product. it doesn't just fly around in circles. if you ease up on the throttle a bit you can literally walk behind it and follow it from room to room.
teh onyl reason it's flying in circles is because he's in a room u moron. if u look at the outdoor video it does more. research before u reply.
John,
Nobody can take your posts seriously because it really sounds like you work for the company. You still didn't address my point about how the Avion just flies around in circles. You just call other planes names.
Looks sweet. I know what my bro's getting for his birthday now!
this thing is radical -- very cool. Smart product from smart people. Bring on more!
That's my favorite 50 cent song! :P
My Megatech package arrived this week. I haven't been able to stop flying the Avion, it's the sexiest, lightest, smoothest R/C gadget I've ever seen. And it handles outdoors remarkably well.
How much is it?
i've seen it for under $90
looks awesome. i want one!
If you're wondering who has them, I just got mine at www.rchobbyexplosion.com. The sales guy said they had plenty in stock. In three days I'll have it and I'll let you know what I think.
Im in ur house, flyin ur planez
just back ordered one, hopefully it comes soon...
totally gnarly!